This invention relates to suspended microchannel resonators and more particularly to an array of serially-arranged suspended microchannel resonators.
Suspended microchannel resonators are well-known for measuring properties such as the mass of objects that pass through the resonator. Suspended microchannel resonators are described in the references attached hereto. A suspended microchannel resonator is a fluidic device in which objects pass along a cantilever that is oscillating. As an object moves along the resonator, the resonant frequency changes, enabling the measurement of properties such as mass of the object.
Suspended microchannel resonators are often used to analyze cells. In particular, such resonators are often used to assess cellular growth rate. Prior art single suspended microchannel resonators have a limited throughput of a few cells per hour. Cell samples that are to be screened may contain up to 105 cells so that a single suspended microchannel resonator would be too slow to make a practical screening device.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a suspended microchannel resonator system capable of a throughput of up to 104 cells per hour.